The release of the Plymouth Argyle retained list was largely predictable with the likes of Gary Miller, Aaron Taylor-Sinclair, Paul Paton, Simon Church and Robbert te Loeke joining Luke McCormick and Nathan Blissett in leaving Home Park.

Youngsters Aaron Taylor and Callum Rose are also departing the club and now, the waiting begins with contracts offered to a further ten players, who are weighing up their options before deciding whether to commit to the Pilgrims for 2018/19 and beyond.

Manager Derek Adams has already suggested that some will leave for various reasons which places a huge question mark over the futures of key men such as Sonny Bradley, Oscar Threlkeld and David Fox.

Ryan Taylor and Antoni Sarcevic are the first to commit to two-year deals offered to them by the club, but now, Adams and Argyle will patiently wait on others to decide where their future lies.

The departures of te Loeke and McCormick underlines the importance of getting a goalkeeper to Home Park and this is probably one of the more pressing issues for Adams right now.

He decided on McCormick’s fate as early as January, while te Loeke’s few appearances in the first team and subsequent injuries means his departure is no great surprise.

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Letheren is yet to commit but is highly unlikely to be first choice anyway and with Remi Matthews back at Norwich City now, a first choice number one will be high on Adams’ agenda.

Miller’s departure means a right-back is needed as back-up at least, but Adams may have to look for two if Threlkeld rejects Argyle’s offer and heads elsewhere.

The former Bolton man has been linked with a move to Preston North End in recent week and their manager, Alex Neil, was in the crowd at Argyle’s recent clash at Rochdale, casting an eye over prospective signings.

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As he is under the age of 24, Argyle would be entitled to compensation for Threlkeld, which is one source of comfort if he decides on a return to the North West, or move elsewhere.

The same can’t be said of Bradley. The 26-year-old has caught the eye once again this season with some dominant performances at the heart of the defence and there is sure to be a number of clubs keen on the services of a now proven League One performer available on a free.

A Bradley departure would be a blow to Argyle, but as they have proved when the likes of Peter Hartley and Curtis Nelson have moved on, there are plenty of decent centre halves out there and as disappointing as Bradley going would be, a departure would not be a catastrophic blow.

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Taylor-Sinclair’s release was a surprise for many, given he did a sterling job for Argyle when called upon, but it leaves them short of cover at left-back for Gary Sawyer, Argyle’s only ever-present this season and who is also out of contract.

Perhaps the most likely of the players offered deals that will move on is David Fox, who has a family back up north. The former Manchester United youngster has been a superb signing for Adams, often dictating the play from the centre of midfield and his experience and game management will be sorely missed.

His importance was noted by the Green Army as well, who voted him second in the Herald’s player of the year poll, but again, while he would be a loss, he is far from irreplaceable.

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Perhaps the second-most important issue Adams must address is finding another player in the Ryan Taylor mold.

Adams has a particular way of playing and has openly admitted his preference to play with one up top and there is no denying that Argyle struggled when Taylor was out of the side this season.

He only played half the games the Pilgrims played in 2018/19 and it does make you wonder how they would have fared had he been fit for the whole season. But injuries are a part and parcel of the game and if Adams – as expected – persists with his preferred style of play, then he needs another Taylor-type figure to share that work load.

Adams has said he expects nine or ten new faces to arrive this summer as he reshapes his squad to go a step further at least in 2018/19, depending on who stays and who else leaves Home Park. But for Argyle fans, it promises to be another busy summer of transfer activity.